Spark-generator for internal-combustion engines.



I. M. DAVIDSON.

SPARK GENERATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION EILEDAPRJE. 1911.

1,015,788. Patented Jan.30,1912.

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'SPARK GENERATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1911.

1,01 5,788. Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. M. DAVIDSON. SPARK GENERATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1911.

1,015,788. Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. gines, of which the ,tion.

crating the sparks in internal combustion engines and to the class of sparkers em- ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m m. DAVIDSON, 0FNEELEYVILLE,'MISSO1TRI, ASSIGNOR or ONE-FOURTH T0 WILLIAM B. DAVIS, =01 NEELEYVILLE, MISSOURI, AND ONE-FOURTH T0 conumzus I. DAVIS, orcLmroN, MISSOURI.

srnnx-ennnmroiz 1 01s".

To all whom it ma concern: I

Be it known that I, IRA M. DAV DSON, a citizen of the United States, residing" at Neeleyville, in the 'county of Butler and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark Generators for Internal-Combustion 'En- My invention relates to devices for genploying induction coils, with means to control the current in the primary circuit, and, has for its object the provision of a device that is simple in construction and operation and that is economical in the consumption, ofelectricity, producing but a single spark for each charge so timed'as tooccur at exactly the right time in all of the cylinders,

and one in which the length of spark may be varied to suit the conditions of the engin'e andthe spark generator, and one in which the length of spark is the same at high or low speeds, the closing of the spark circuit being effected by a spring actuated device that works at the same speed under all conditions of motor speed.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved spark 1 generator, showing the electric generator, spark coil and circuits diagrammatically, Fig. 2, atop "plan view,

Fig. 3, a planv1ew-of the mechanism for controlling. the primary circuit in the posi- I tion of the operating mechanism when at rest, Fig. 4, a view .similar to the view in 'Fig. 3 showing the operating mechanism.

- when actuated by the engine shaft, Fig. 5,

I aview similar tolthe view in Fig. 3.showing the operating mechanism at the moment itis released by the shaft, and Fig. 6, a view. similar" to the view in Fi 3 showingthe;

operating mechanism at t closing the primary circuit.

In the drawings. similar referencecharacters will be used to designate corresponding parts in the several views. My 'mproved generator ismounted on a bracket l-securedfto any suitable sup ort such as the. shown).';

e moment when Specification of Letters Patent.

following is a specifica.-.

casing of the.,engine not INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Jan. 30,1912.

Applicationfiled April 25, 1911. Serial 116. 623,236.

2 indicates the lower portion of the gen .erator casing that is constructed of metal and has a, central tubular extension 3 secured on-bracket 1.

4 indicates a circular plate seated in the casing '2 and having a central tubular extension 5 that is revolubly mounted in tubular extension 3 and extended below its lower end, and has an operating handle 6 secured thereto to control the advance and retarding of the spark.

'7 indicates a shaft journaled in tubular extension 5 and when ln position geared to the power shaft of a two cycle engineior the cam shaft of a four cycle engine.

8 indicatesa' collar secured to the shaft 7 and engaging the lower end of the tubular extension 3/ to prevent upward movement of -the shaft, cam wheel 9secured to the shaft and bearing against the upper side of plate 4 holds the shaft from downward movement. 7

The upper portion of the casing consists of a ring 10- of non-conducting material such as vulcanized rubber, fiber or the like and a top plate 11, of the same material, secured thereto.

12 indicates a contact button secured in the center of plate 11 and 13 other contact buttons secured near the edge of said plate, one button for each cylinder in the motor to which the generator is connected, said buttons being arranged equidistant from one another. i

'14 indicates the distributer head made of and adapted'to close the circuit between contact button 12 and contact buttons 13 in turn. q i A indicates a spark coil of ordinary structure having one of its primary terminals connected by wire B" with abattery or other suitable generator of electricity C, and its other primary terminal connected by wire D with a binding post 18 secured to thelower portion 2 of the spark generator casing.

E indicates alwire from the generator C that is grounded on bracket 1.

' F indicates the wire connectingthe' secondary terminal of the coil A and contact button 12, and G the wires connecting buttons 13 with the spark plugs of the several engine Cylinders (not-shown).

19 indicates a conductor ring mounted within the lower portion 2 of the casing,-

and separated therefrom by means of insulation 20, said ring being secured to binding post 18 sothat it is in circuit with the. pri-' mary of coil A through conductor wire D.

21 indicates aplate secured to circular plate 4 and insulated therefrom, 22 a; slide bearingmounted thereon, and 23 a spring actuated brush mounted slide beari'ng22 and engaging ring 19. f

24 indicates a post. mounted on plate 21 with a contact screw 25. a

26indicates a lever pivotally mounted on plate 4, 27a post secured to plate 4 and 28 a screw pin mounted in the post that "limits the movement of-said lever, 29indicating a spring that holds the lever normally I engagement with screw pin 28.

30 indicates a spring arm secured to lever 26 and'31 a contact point mounted on said arm and positioned to engage the contact point on the end ofjcontact screw 25.

The end of lever 26 is formed with an inclined or barbed head 32.

I 33 indicates a'spool-shaped wheel journaled 'on post 34 secured to plate 4, 35 a pawl pivotally mounted in the wheel 33 and adapted to. engage the barbed head. 32 of lever 26, and 36 another pawl pivotally mounted on the wheel 33 and engaging cam wheel9.' g Y Cam wheel 9 is formed wit-has many cam notches 37 as there are cylinders in the mo tor sothat when the shaft 7 makes a complete revolution the wheel 33 is rocked as many times as there are cylinders in the n10= tor, it being apparentthat as the shaft 7 and cam wheel 9 rotate inth'e direction indicated by arrow 0, that thepaw-l 36 "will 4 engage the cam notches37 and move the spool-shaped wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow 6. When the wheel is rotated by engagement of the pawl 36 with v the cam notches'aforesaid the pawl 35 passes barbed head 32 without lifting the lever,

the spring 38 connecting pawls 35- and' 36 returning the pawl 35 to engagement with stop pin 39 as soon as it has passed from engaging the head 32; Immediately after this the cam 9 is turned so that the pawl 36 is disengaged from cam notch 37 and the wheel 33 is returned to its original position by means of 0011 spring 40." When the wheel is returned to its original position a the pawl 35 being held from movemeut'rearwardly by stop pin 39 and by engaging the.

inclined face of the head 32 of lever 26 tributer headbeing so mounted on shaft 7 33 to its normal position under impulse of moves it against the resistance of spring 29 so that the contact point 31 on spring arm a 30, engages contact screw 25.

\Vhen the contact ,point 31' engages contact screw 25, as above stated, the primary circuit is closed from generator C, through conductor B, the primary winding in coil A, conductor D,.binding post 18, conductor ring 19, brush 23, bearing 22, plate 21, post 24, contact screw25, contact point 31, spring arm30, plate 4,-casing 2, bracket 1, and conductor E to the battery. 1

- lVhen pawl 35 finally slips off the end of barbed head 32 the lever 26 is returned to itsnormal position engaging screw.28 and the primary circuit'is broken. This breaking of the primary circuit causes a rise in potential in the secondary circuit which is communicated fromcoil A, through con: ductor]? to button 12, thence through contact strip 17, one of the buttons 13 and its conductor .G to the cylinder having a compressed charge ready to be fired; the dis- 1 that its arm 14 "isin proper position atthe. moment of the rise, in otential in the secondary of coil A, hereinbefore referred to,

,to close the secondary circuit to the cylinder to befired. I

-41 indicates a pin secured to plate 4 and the rocking movement of the wheel, and 43 a pin secured to wheel 33 and 44 a lug on the end of pawl 36 to limit the outward movement of the pawl under the influence of the spring 38. I

' lit will be apparentthat-as the length of closure of the circuit in the primary is governed by the speed of the return ofwheel spring 40,-that the operation of the spark is independent of the speed ofthe motor. a

pawl 30 when it engages the barbed head 32,

by adjusting the contact screw 25 so that its engagement with contact point 31 may be long or short. This construction and operation admits of using battery cells fora longer period than possible with other I sparking devices as'by actual experiment I have found it possible to make a spark with my apparatus with a battery testing onehalf ampere and have obtained a spark with a battery showing only one-quarter ampere.

* Having thus described myinvention what I claim is ,1. A circuit breaker forspark generators 95 42 a notch in wheel 33 that operates to limit comprising a contact post, a spring held contact lever, a wheel rotatably mounted, pawls pivotally secured to said wheel, one of said pawls being adapted to engage the 5 levertomove it into engagement with. the contact ost, a shaft, and a cam secured to the sha and engaging the other pawl to actuate thewheelaforesaid. 1 2A, circuit breaker for spark generato consisting of a contact .post, a spring held contact lever having its free end provided with a barbed end, a wheel rotatably mounted, pawls pivotally secured tosaid wheel, one of said pawls being adapted to engage the barbed end of the lever, a shaft,a cam on said shaft and engaging the other pawl on the wheel to rotate the wheel in one direction, and a spring secured to the wheel to return it to its normal position. 20? 3. Acircuit breaker for spark generators comprising, a casing, a plate rotatably mountedjinsaid casing, a contact ring s'ee mixed to the side wall'of the casing, a plate secured to the rotatable plate aforesaid and pivotally secured to the rotatable plate and insulated therefrom, a spring brush mount- 5 ed on the last mentioned plate and engaging said contact ring, a contact post mounted onsaid plate, a spring held contact lever having a barbed end, a wheel revolubly mounted on the rotatable plate, pawls pivotallj secured: to said wheel, one of said pawls adapted to engage, the barbed end of the leverand move, it into engagement with theco'ntact post aforesaid, a shaft journaled on the rotatable .plate, a cam onsaid shaft and adapted to engage the other pawl on the wheel ,to rotate the wheel in one direction, and aspring secured to the wheel and rotatable plate to return the wheel to its nor- 40 mal' posit on. 1

ln'testimonj whereof I hereto afiix my signaturein the presence of two witnesses. 1

' IRA M. DAVIDSON.

: Witnesses i Gno. N. VA'DEN, 

